Minister's Message

In A Flash

By Rick Mosher, minister

The last day of February, the United States Olympic Hockey team played a great game but lost in sudden death overtime to Canada. Just the day before my beloved Licking Lady Wildcats Basketball team lost in the closing seconds of their opening round game in the district tournament. As March rolls on sports fans will be enthralled in “March Madness”, the NCAA basketball tournament. Undoubtedly there will be games that will be decided in the last second or two of play. All these have a common theme. People work hard for weeks or even months. They have a goal of victory. But in just a flash of time for many the opportunity for victory is over.

This is a good illustration for us of our need to be ready for the return of Christ and the judgment that will happen at that time. Paul writes of our Lord’s return in I Corinthians

15.52: “…In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”

During the grind of regular season games and practices it often seems a season will have no end. Then come the playoffs, the district tournament, or whatever ends the season. Suddenly it’s all over. Any more chance to improve or to accomplish more is done. Even so it seems life just keeps going on. Sometimes it seems it will never end. However the Bible tells us there is a time coming when Jesus will return. At that time it will be too late to improve our relationship with God, too late to make certain of our salvation.

Only what we do with Jesus now can put us in the position that when that final trumpet sounds it will be a matter of joy for us and not of grief. Jesus has provided us with the means of victory through His death burial and resurrection. Our situation, our eternal condition when life suddenly ends hinges entirely with what we do with Him. In

I Corinthians 15.57 Paul writes “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” And In John 14.6 Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Therefore nothing in life is more important than knowing you are in Christ. If you are a Christian, never allow yourself to be lured away from Christ by this world. If you are not yet in Christ, you need to obey Jesus as your Lord and Savior. This initial salvation response starts with faith in Jesus. (John 3.16) To result in salvation, then, our faith must lead us to repent from sin (Acts 2.38), confess (acknowledge) our faith in Jesus (Matthew 10.32), be baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2.38; Romans 6.4), and remain faithful to Christ (I Corinthians 15.58).

If we can assist you in completing your obedience to the Gospel, visit or contact us at Licking Christian Church. If you do not live in our community, we will be glad to try to help connect you with a congregation near you.